Flight Safety Information
July 27, 2012 - No. 153
In This Issue
FedEx Jet Issues MayDay Call
Mechanical failure cited in Harrier crash
Three people killed in Arizona plane crash
NTSB: Pilot killed in Nevada crash was low on gas
PRISM Certification Support
Airbus delays new passenger jet A350 after glitch
Southwest Airlines Announces Executive Changes
AirAsia purchases Batavia Air for $80 million in cash
FedEx Jet Issues MayDay Call
Shannon Airport's emergency plan was put into action for a time yesterday (Thursday)
after a the crew of transatlantic cargo jet issued a MayDay distress call and requested to
make an emergency landing.
FedEx flight FDX-78, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F jet, was en route from Memphis,
Tennessee in the US to Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.
At around 4.30pm, when the flight was about 150 kilometres west of Donegal, the crew
alerted air traffic controllers at Shannon to an unspecified technical problem.
The crew informed controllers that they wished to divert to Shannon and requested that
emergency crews be on standby.
Airport fire and rescue service crews mobilised to strategic locations along Shannon's
main runway up to 20 minutes prior to the jet's expected arrival.
In the meantime, local authority fire crews from Shannon Town and Ennis along with
HSE emergency medical services from Ennis, Shannon and Limerick City were also sent
to the airport.
When the jet was still 15 minutes from Shannon, the crew notified controllers that the
situation on board had been resolved and they planned to continue onto Paris.
Emergency procedures at Shannon were then stood down.
The FedEx jet continued onto Paris where it landed safely at 7.15pm local time.
Shannon is one of several airports in Western Europe designated as an emergency
landing site for aircraft travelling on the North Atlantic route.
At 3.2kms in length, Shannon's main runway is the longest in Ireland and capable of
handling the world's largest cargo and passenger jets.
ttp://www.clareherald.com/news/134-transport-a-travel/4237-fedex-jet-issues-mayday-
call.html
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Mechanical failure cited in Harrier crash
The crash landing of the AV-8B Harrier aircraft near Felicity, Calif. Wednesday was
caused by an unspecified mechanical failure, military officials stated.
The site of the crash landing is still cordoned off by military and law enforcement
personnel because two 500-pound bombs attached to the harrier that did not detonate
upon impact still pose a danger to the public.
The jet was carrying the bombs en route to the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery
Range to drop the ordnance on targets.
A Crash Fire Rescue Team from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is "trying to work as
quickly as possible" to deal with the threat, said Capt. Staci Reidinger, director of public
affairs for MCAS Yuma.
Marine Corps officials were in the process of deciding what to do with the bombs
Thursday afternoon.
"They are working... to make a decision on which way to go," Reidinger
added, noting that one option is to bury the bombs at the crash site and to detonate
them there. The second option is to disarm the bombs and to transport them to a Marine
Corps ordnance disposal location.
If the bombs are detonated at the site, the public may hear a loud noise and feel a slight
tremor in the vicinity.
"They are all doing all the calculations on the blow radius," Reidinger said. "It is not a
very large radius that would be impacted because it would be below ground."
The AV-8B Harrier crashed during a training exercise about 15 miles northwest of MCAS
Yuma at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The pilot, whose identity will not be released at
present because the investigation is ongoing, was able to safely eject from the fighter
aircraft before it hit the ground.
According to Reidinger, the pilot ejected safely and upon landing used his cell phone to
call the base for help. He was able to walk away from the scene. The aircraft was a total
loss, officials said.
Gary Redfern of Imperial, Calif. witnessed the jet crash from a nearby road along with a
friend.
"We were southbound on Ogilby Road at 3:30 p.m. going from Palo Verde to Yuma and
suddenly I saw a large plume of black smoke rise up from the open desert maybe a mile
to our southeast," he said. "As we got closer the smoke dissipated somewhat, but did
linger."
After the pilot called the base, a Search and Rescue helicopter and crew stationed at
MCAS Yuma was dispatched to the area of the crash to transport the pilot. The pilot, who
did not suffer major injuries, was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center for observation
and was released the same day.
The multimillion-dollar Harrier was assigned to Marine Attack Training Squadron 203,
Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Air Wing stationed at MCAS Cherry Point in North
Carolina.
Also known as the Hawks, the squadron trains pilots how to fly Harrier aircraft. The
Hawks are in the Yuma area to conduct aerial combat training operations.
Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/articles/harrier-80621-pilot-
marine.html#ixzz21p7N4Jvt
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Three people killed in Arizona plane crash
(CNN) -- Three people were killed Thursday when a small plane burst into flames after
going off the end of a runway at the airport in Sedona, Arizona, a police spokesman told
CNN.
A spokesman for the Sedona Fire Department confirmed the deaths but said he could not
identify the victims, CNN affiliate KPHO reported.
The plane was registered to Pat Porter, a two-time Olympian and an eight-time U.S.
cross country champion. He finished 15th in the 10,000 meters at the 1984 Olympics in
Los Angeles and also raced the event in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.
His wife, Trish, was also an Olympian in 1988. The couple lives in Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
Ron Wheeler, a spokesman for the Sedona Police department, told CNN the plane struck
a fence after going off a runway.
KPHO reported that a witness said the plane, a twin-engine Beech B-60, was trying to
take off.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, KPHO reported.
*************
Date:
26-JUL-2012
Time:
08:30 LT
Type:
Beech B-60 Duke
Registration:
N880LY
C/n / msn:
P-524
Fatalities:
Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Airplane damage:
Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:
Sedona Airport - KSEZ, Sedona AZ - United States of America
Phase:
Take off
Departure airport:
KSEZ
Narrative:
The aircraft, a Beech B-60 Duke, N880LY, experienced a loss of lift on takeoff from
Sedona Airport - KSEZ, Sedona, Arizona, and impacted terrain SW of the departure end
of runway 21. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post-impact fire. The three
passengers onboard the aircraft received fatal injuries.
www.aviation-safety.net
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NTSB: Pilot killed in Nevada crash was low on gas
RENO, Nev. (AP) - A fighter pilot on a Navy training mission told air traffic controllers he
was running out of gas before he crashed and died at Fallon Naval Air Station in March.
Retired Capt. Carroll LeFon had been playing the enemy in an Israeli-built F-21 before
attempting to land at the base 60 miles east of Reno.
The National Transportation Safety Board hasn't ruled on a cause but raised the fuel
issue in a preliminary report on Wednesday.
The NTSB said LeFon abandoned two initial attempts to land at Fallon and diverted to
Reno but found the same snowy and windy conditions there. Headed back to Fallon, he
told controllers he was in "a critical fuel state" before he maneuvered toward one
runway, then another and crashed into a concrete building.
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Airbus delays new passenger jet A350 after glitch
Paris: European plane maker Airbus delayed the introduction of its newest passenger jet,
the carbon-composite A350, as parent EADS unveiled better-than-expected second-
quarter earnings lifted by resilient demand for its existing range of jetliners.
The three-month delay follows a glitch in wing production and pushes first delivery of the
all-new A350 - Europe's answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner - into the second half of
2014.
Delivering his first results since stepping up from the Airbus unit to become head of
Europe's largest aerospace company in June, EADS Chief Executive Tom Enders said
improving profits by delivering on major projects would be a top priority.
"Another focus of our efforts is to further integrate and globalise EADS," he said in a
statement, weeks after Airbus unveiled plans to build an assembly plant in the United
States.
The A350 was already a year behind its original schedule but new Airbus Chief Executive
Fabrice Bregier has stressed he would rather take time to iron out problems before the
start of final assembly. A backlog of unresolved problems were blamed in part for three-
year delays on the A380 superjumbo and Boeing's 787.
Problems in drilling holes in the wings on the A350 were first reported by Reuters after
analysts said they had been briefed at this month's Farnborough Airshow.
The delay will result in a charge of 124 million euros, EADS said.
Airbus and Boeing are ramping up production to meet a surge in demand for fuel-saving
jets as airlines seek to cut costs while preparing for transport growth in emerging
markets. But both have run into persistent problems with their newest projects.
EADS raised its forecast for Airbus deliveries this year to 580 aircraft from 570 and
formalised a goal to sell 600 to 650 Airbus airplanes in 2012. However, a resurgent
Boeing is expected to reclaim the number one spot in sales and deliveries this year as it
reduces a bottleneck of undelivered Dreamliners.
EADS also raised its operating profit forecast to 2.7 billion euros from 2.5 billion on
revenue which it now expects to rise 10 per cent rather than 6 per cent or more.
The upgrade, which contrasts with bleak economic news in its home European markets,
comes after EADS operating profit almost doubled in the second quarter to 735 million
euros.
Revenue grew by 12 per cent to 13.53 billion, led by Airbus and strong helicopter and
space divisions. EADS quarterly defence profits and revenue were flat.
Analysts were on average expecting second-quarter operating profit to rise by a third to
626 million euros on revenue of 12.979 billion, according to a Reuters survey.
The earnings follow a spate of stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings by U.S.
aerospace and defence companies in the past week as they pushed through tough cost
cutting and share buybacks to prepare for heavy cuts in defence spending.
Boeing raised its full-year earnings forecast on Wednesday as rising commercial airplane
deliveries and defence sales offset higher pension costs.
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Southwest Airlines Announces Executive Changes
DALLAS, July 26, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) today
announced executive changes at the Company.
Teresa Laraba, most recently Southwest's Senior Vice President of Customer Services,
has been named the airline's Senior Vice President of Customers. In this new role,
Laraba will continue to provide senior Leadership for three departments: Customer
Support & Services, Customer Relations & Rapid Rewards, and Customer Services.
Laraba also will ensure that the airline's many Customer-focused activities are
coordinated and aligned to one vision for how it continues to better meet its Customers'
current and future needs. Laraba began her Southwest career in El Paso in May 1984
and has held numerous positions at the Company, including Director of Field
Employment, Senior Director of Ground Operations Training and Airport Solutions, and
Vice President Ground Operations. Laraba will continue reporting to Southwest's
Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, and AirTran Airways President, Bob
Jordan.
Jack Smith, most recently Southwest's Vice President of Ground Operations/AirTran, has
been named the airline's Vice President of Customer Support & Services. Customer
Support & Services, formerly known as Reservations, provides travel information and
assistance to Southwest's Customers and Employees. In his new role, Smith will lead
more than 4,000 Customer Support & Services Employees. An industry veteran of more
than 30 years, Smith joined AirTran in April 2002 and became a Southwest Employee in
March 2012. During his career, Smith has gained experience overseeing various airline
functions like Ground Operations, Inflight, Cargo, Reservations, and Customer
Relations. Smith will report to Laraba.
Both changes are effective immediately
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/26/4662438/southwest-airlines-
announces-executive.html#storylink=cpy
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AirAsia purchases Batavia Air for $80 million in cash
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Largest budget airline in Asia, AirAsia Bhd, is purchasing
Indonesian carrier Batavia Air for $80 million in cash. The acquisition will allow AirAsia to
expand in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, the two groups said on Thursday.
Reuters reports that the move will ratchet up competition among low-cost carriers in
Indonesia, a field already crowded with players like Lion Air, the nation's biggest with 47
percent of the market and flag carrier Garuda's Citilink unit with a combined 23 percent
share. Batavia had 11 percent and once the sale is complete should give AirAsia about
13 percent of the market.
"It's an interesting move and it surely going to make the competition even tighter in an
already competitive market," Edward Sirait, a Lion Air director, told Reuters. "It also
shows the recognition by foreign investors that Indonesia's aviation market has a very
huge potential."
The purchase is somewhat of an about-face for AirAsia CEO and founder Tony Fernandes
who said previously he was against acquisitions, calling them "value destroying" in an
interview with Reuters a year ago.
On Thursday however, Fernandes changed his view.
"This is the way for us to expand our business in Indonesia. Lion Air is big and if we're
not big enough, then Lion Air can eat us," Fernandes told a news conference in Jakarta.
"Aviation is a hard business...hopefully this marriage is a good marriage."
According to Reuters, the move will help AirAsia to expand its fleet and routes in
Indonesia where Batavia Air currently operates 33 aircraft on about 48 routes, including
some to several international destinations.
The acquisition will also help Malaysia-based AirAsia compete against regional rivals like
Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd once the Southeast Asian open-sky
policy comes into effect in 2015.
That policy will allow the budget carriers to fly more regional routes and removes various
restrictions on passenger, cargo and charter services.
AirAsia will buy 76.95 percent of Batavia Air this year and the rest by 2013. AirAsia will
also take up Batavia Air's debt as a part of the deal, said Dharmadi, chief executive of its
Indonesian unit, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. The amount of debt was
not disclosed.
Malaysia-based AirAsia will own 49 percent of Batavia Air while its Indonesian unit will
control 51 percent in order to comply with Indonesian ownership rules.
MOVING TO JAKARTA
Fernandes said in early May his group was looking to list its Indonesian operations by the
first quarter of next year as it moves its regional base to Indonesia to focus on further
expansion.
Fernandes is also expected to move to Jakarta to oversee the airline's expansion plans in
Southeast Asia.
"There will also be a positive impact on its Indonesian unit's listing. The IPO will be
helped by this acquisition," said an aviation analyst with MIDF Research in Kuala
Lumpur, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the
media.
AirAsia will benefit from Batavia Air's strong agent network in Indonesia, said Ahmad
Maghfur Usman, a Kuala Lumpur-based equity analyst with OSK Research.
"The Internet penetration in Indonesia AirAsia in terms of ticket bookings is not as great
as Malaysia or Thailand. So that's why AirAsia sees value through the purchase of
Batavia Air," he added.
The acquisition will add a network of more than 5,000 travel agents as well as 70 sales
offices across Indonesia so it can expand its focus to off-line retail customers.
AirAsia's move is also "a battle among the global giants, Boeing versus Airbus, of how
they battle for dominance in the Indonesian market," said Harry Su, head of research at
Bahana Securities in Jakarta.
Lion Air ordered 230 Boeing short-haul jets worth $22 billion in November last year to
take it its total orderbook to more than 400 planes.
AirAsia said in May that it is in talks with Airbus to buy 50 A320 passenger jets worth $4
billion, only months after it placed a record order for 200. Batavia itself flies a mix of
planes from both manufacturers.
Shares of AirAsia closed down 0.3 percent at 3.73 ringgit per share on Thursday
compared to Malaysia's benchmark index which was down 0.68 percent.
Source: reuters.com
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Diesel Emerging As New Technology of Choice for General Aviation
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Cessna's New Turbodiesel
Engine Is "A Major Step" In Increasing Range And Lowering Operating Costs In General
Aviation
Having the world's leading general aviation company make a strong commitment to
using turbodiesel engines is a "welcome and major step in the continued recognition of
the many benefits of diesel technology", according to Allen Schaeffer, the Executive
Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.
"Cessna's new 182 NXT turbodiesel engine is being described as a 'game changer' by
experts in the general aviation industry," Schaeffer said. "With its increased range,
greater payload capacity and lower direct operating costs, it's easy to see why Cessna's
new diesel powered aircraft is going to transform general aviation."
The Cessna 182 NXT has already been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration
and the European Aviation Safety Agency, according to Cessna's announcement this
week.
Diesel Technology Powers A Diverse Variety of Vehicles and Vessels- From Submarines
To Construction Machinery
Schaeffer said that while diesel engines are now emerging in general aviation
transportation, diesel power is an established technology and industry that provides
prime motive power to a diverse variety of vehicles and vessels ranging from submarines
and cruise ships, to race cars and the world's largest construction machinery.
"The same attributes that have made diesel engines the power behind nearly all modes
of surface transportation are now driving the future for the aviation industry and Cessna
has reinforced its leadership role in aviation," Schaeffer said.
The diesel equipment, fuels and servicing sectors collectively contribute over $480 billion
annually to the U.S. economy, with significant influence on 16 sectors ranging from
agriculture to wholesale trade. More than 90 percent of all global trade is moved by
diesel power.
"There is a reason today that diesel powers the overwhelming majority of the nation's
commercial trucking, school and transit bus fleets," Schaeffer said. "Diesel's unmatched
combination of availability, safety, energy efficiency and economical operation and
performance has made it the technology of choice, but it is also the environmental
performance and prospects for even greater energy efficiency that make it the
technology of choice for the future."
The new 182 NXT turbo-charged piston engine is a diesel power plant with the ability to
burn Jet A aviation fuel - the same middle distillate fuel used by turbine and jet aircraft.
The fuel is similar to diesel, but unlike the fuel that goes into cars and trucks, Jet A is
standardized around the world making certification of the engine and aircraft easier.
New Turbodiesel Engine Has Zero Lead Emissions and Zero CO Emissions
Cessna officials predict the new aircraft will have strong international appeal with the
transformation to Jet A fuel.
In making its announcement this week, Cessna officials highlighted the environmental
benefits that go with the Turbo 182 NXT. The fuel technology used in the engine
eliminates concerns about carbon monoxide emissions, fuel mixtures, propeller control
and exhaust gas. The engine operates at a lower propeller speed. As a result, the
turbocharger technology delivers a quieter flight line and reduces noise pollution. There
are zero lead emissions and zero CO emissions. Flight at the maximum cruise speed
demonstrates greater fuel efficiency, and will burn approximately 30 percent to 40
percent less fuel than comparable avgas engines.
Powered by a turbocharged, direct-drive SMA SR305-230E-C1 engine, the Turbo 182
NXT will burn 11 gph at a max cruise speed of 155 knots, granting owners a lower fuel
burn and increased range from avgas counterparts. Cessna estimates that the engine
will burn 30 to 40 percent less fuel than comparable avgas engines and have a range of
1,160 nautical miles at max cruise speed.
(View this press release online here.)
ABOUT THE DIESEL TECHNOLOGY FORUM
The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit national organization dedicated to raising
awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology. Forum members
are leaders in clean diesel technology and represent the three key elements of the
modern clean-diesel system: advanced engines, vehicles and equipment, cleaner diesel
fuel and emissions-control systems. For more information visit www.dieselforum.org .
SOURCE Diesel Technology Forum
Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS, FISASI
CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC